Bill Kristol Endorses Zoran Mamdani for NYC Mayor

Bill Kristol, a neoconservative figure and known critic of former President Trump, has notably backed Zoran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor of New York City. He expressed his hopes that Mamdani wouldn’t have any conflict with Israel, calling him “a very impressive politician.”

In an interview, Kristol, who has previously criticized former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s potential return to politics as “ridiculous,” shared his thoughts on younger Democrats and highlighted names like Abigail Spanberger from Virginia and Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey, alongside Mamdani. “I think a lot of young Democrats are very impressionable,” he remarked.

Kristol, reflecting on his own state, mentioned, “I live in Virginia, so Abigail Spanberger, who I think will win in November, is really great.” He mused that if they had the chance to elect three Democrats—like Mamdani, Spanberger, and Sherrill—he’d be quite satisfied.

While he has supported Spanberger and Sherrill before, this was the first time Kristol suggested that he would vote for Mamdani if he were still residing in New York City. He acknowledged the reality that New York was likely to have a left-leaning mayor. “It’s not the first time this has happened,” he stated, though he wished for a bit more understanding regarding issues related to Israel and economic policies, which he found troubling but not pivotal.

When asked directly if he would support Mamdani, Kristol responded, “You know, I think so too.” He critiqued the prospect of a Cuomo comeback, stating it was simply “ridiculous.” In terms of alternatives, he acknowledged he might not have prioritized Mamdani over more centrist candidates in a primary setting.

Kristol labeled the financial backers of Cuomo as “pathetic,” adding that he didn’t believe Mamdani’s socialist economic proposals would spell disaster for the city. “New York is a huge city. He’s not going to destroy it; I don’t think so,” he said, reflecting on the idea of government-run grocery stores. He was skeptical about their success compared to independent stores and raised questions about the usage of taxpayer money.

Further, he found the conservative backlash against Mamdani somewhat exaggerated. “He’s a very impressive politician. I don’t know if he’ll be a very good mayor,” Kristol admitted, acknowledging Mamdani’s youth and lack of experience but remained hopeful about the support he could gather in New York.